I’ve had my mexican black kingsnake River for about 6 months now. She’s approaching a year old and has what appears to be a small burn on her belly. From what I can tell it is scale rot. I noticed this on Friday when she had a blister on her belly. I did an overhaul of her enclosure and cleaned everything before replacing her, but didn’t treat for anything as she was due for a shed. Saturday morning I woke up to find she had shed but saw the burn on her. Since yesterday I’ve switched her from aspen to paper towels and I’ve given her three soaks in a weak betadine/water solution and am applying anti-biotic cream (without painkiller) to the sore. I’ve also emptied and dried her waterbowl and am putting a capful of water in there as it is consumed. Other than appearing to have shed the skin around her vent early her shed was normal and complete(she pooped friday night before her shed, typically there’s nothing for a little while and then a huge poop after). She also accepted food last night and accepted the water this morning, seems to be acting normal. Just since yesterday there appears to be improvement in the scale rot, but is there anything else I should be doing and should I be taking her to a vet?

You are doing the right steps....dry the enclosure so it is not wet or humid....treat the scale rot with triple antibiotic cream (neosporin or generic) keep the water bowl small and do not allow the snake to soak.

If and when it comes into a shed cycle again you can offer a humid hide , plastic shoe box, from the dollar store or Walmart filled with damp substrate. Mist it during the shed cycle and after the shed let it dry out on it’s own. Obviously you need to cut a proper size hole in the lid for entry/exit.

Scale rot is also caused by unclean conditions combined with moisture. Or too wet / damp all the time.

Why do you say BURN...in the picture I don’t see a burn?? I see the belly scales starting to look like they are being eaten away at the extreme edges....not many just a few.

If your talking about the white spot/blaze , for lack of better words, That is not what I am looking at.

Imagine a leaf and an insect just barley eating the edge of the leaf causing a deformed appearance.

If you use a heat rock or a bulb which the snake can touch you need to change things up. What are you using for heat???

Thanks!
I’m looking at the damage a little underneath my thumb in the image, not the white spot, she’s an MBK and that’s just some of her spotting, most of it has gone away, but there’s still some here and there. Those scales that look eaten (3, by my count) are what I am focusing on. I use a UTH for heat. I was just unsure if what I was looking at was a small burn or scale rot.

I’ve been treating her for scale rot and there is improvement, however I am not sure how advanced this case would be considered and if it appears she needs shots

This is a very minor case and you have caught it very early. I would keep doing what you are doing and keep a close eye on it. 1 or 2 sheds from now should clear it up. if it doesn’t improve then I would consider a vet visit ...or some more online research about scale rot will lead you to more treatment remedies.

River is doing great, this has mostly resolved. The neosporin caused some major scale flaking, but the vet said that was normal. The sore is gone, totally healed, and all that’s left is a few damage scales on her sides from the flaking (should heal up this cycle) she’s shed 3 times since, and is back on natural substrate and doing very very well!